Exploring the value of identification parades to identify violent crime suspects in Namibia

Abstract

Violent crime is a serious concern in the Ohangwena Region and has a negative impact on many lives. The fear of violent crime, the loss of life and the socioeconomic impact of such crimes may create the impression that the battle against violent crime has been lost. This study explores the utilisation of identification parades as an effective technique to identify violent crime suspects in Namibia. The researcher intends to empower investigators with the necessary knowledge of the importance of identification parades or line-ups during violent crime investigations. The target population was 18 detectives with an insight into violent crime investigations and a qualitative approach was adopted. This research revealed that the limited knowledge that police investigators have contributes to reducing violent crime more difficult to achieve. Therefore, this study recommends new ideas on how identification parades should be conducted with the view of enhancing the performance of crime investigators.